Northern Star
by pipo305
Summary: Northern Star is the story of Loyia, a Kender mother who got her son kidnapped by a raiding band of ogres. With the help of her sister, she will have to make a dangerous journey to retreive her son. The setting is during the war of the lance.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The night air was filled with smoke coming from the burning huts, next to them. Risking a look around her own house, Loyia made sure the way to the next hut was clear. After being sure that no Ogres or Goblins were in sight, she turned to Gab and placed a finger on her lips as a sign to keep silent. Genuinely smiling, almost laughing, Gab made an energetic nod to his mother, signalling he understood.

One of the smallest races on Krynn, the Kenders normally reach just below four feet tall. Slender of shape, they are often mistaken for human kids. They like to dress themselves in bright, rich colour cloths. They also tend to wear their hair long and comb them with mixed flowers and other decorations for the women, while the men normally wear the traditional topknots.

In her early forties, Loyia was of average height and very handsome with her delicate features and her pointed Kender ears. She quickly wrapped her long gold and auburn hair, with a hair string, to prevent it from obscuring her field of view.

Smiling back at her son, she bent forward and gently kissed him on the forehead. At six years old, the young Kender was reaching a little above his mother's waist, with the help of his proudly worn topknot. A wooden toy dragon in his hands – made by his aunt, Myrra – the kid was seeing the attack so far as a big hide-and-seek game. Like all Kenders, Gab didn't know fear as the other races do. That absence of fear was both a blessing and a curse. Needless to say, fearlessness tends to put them into trouble and put their already great curiosity into over gear. It didn't mean that they would put themselves in danger if they could avoid it.

Loyia turned around and dashed, with Gab following, to the next hut, which brought them closer to the safety of the woods.

Almost half of the huts in the small Kender village were already burning. The surprise attack made by the Ogre raiding party was both deadly and effective. From her position, the Kender mother could see that the procession of Ogres and Goblins – she could count six Ogres and as many Goblins – was slowly progressing along the village main road, leaving death and destruction on their way.

"Mommy! Mommy! They caught Viana!" Gab pointed toward the enormous wheeled cage that the raiders had brought with them. Two large beasts of burden were slowly dragging the cage along the main road, completely oblivious to all the commotion around them.

Loyia looked in the direction her son was pointing. She saw an Ogre holding the young girl in one hand as easily as a human would hold a large cat. On a quick glance, Ogres resemble humans in shape but much bigger. Towering between eight to ten feet tall, their yellowish skin was often covered with tattoos and scars. They also had long, black, greasy hair. Those Ogres wore different and mismatched rusted and neglected armour plating protecting various body parts. An array of weapons was used by those raiders; clubs, swords, shields composed their main arsenal, which they used clumsily. But what they lacked in skill, they made out in brute strength.

His hand was encircling the mid section of the girl's body. Viana was screaming insults to the Ogre from the top of her lungs and only stopped when she hit the bottom of the cage when the Ogre dumped her unceremoniously. There was already a couple of other Kender kids in the cage, probably captives from other Kender villages who had the misfortune to be in the way of those monsters.

I have to make it quick, thought Loyia. Turning her gaze back to the forest, she made a mental course from where she was to the edge of the town when suddenly a Goblin turned the corner and came face to face with the two Kenders.

The Goblin was quick to react and made a short yelp to warn his partner who was just behind him. Greenish of skin, Goblins were a bit smaller than humans but still larger, heavier and stronger than any Kender. The two Goblins were an over match for the Kender mother, and she knew it.

Nevertheless, her protective motherly instinct took over and Loyia had both her daggers in hands before the monster could even blink. In a succession of quick stabs and thrusts, she was able to make the Goblins backed a couple of steps, more out of surprise than anything else.

"Run Gab! To the woods!" she instructed her son in Kenderspeak. A language she knew very few Goblins talked. Gab was used to obey quickly. The kid dashed, passed the two greenish fiends, escaping a clumsy attempt to grab him from one of the Goblin. Smiling and laughing - it was the best day of his life - the kid ran toward the woods. The Goblin, seeing his prey going away yelled as loud as he could: "Kender kid, here! Quick!"

Loyia quickly looked around and her fear proved to be true: a third Goblin heard the call of his pair and came toward them. From where Gab was, he could see the monster but the newcomer saw him and started right into an interception course.

Forgetting about her two attackers, Loyia tried to scream a warning to her son but one of the Goblins took advantage of her distraction and punched her in the belly.

Loyia felt backward, the wind leaving her lungs. Just before hitting the ground, she saw the Goblin grab the now powerless kid.

With what breath she had left, she screamed: "NOOOOOOO!" her right hand stretched out toward her son as if she could take him back to the safety of her arms.

The other Goblin had slowly placed himself on Loyia's side. When he saw her pinned to the ground, looking away, he raised his club and swung it at the screaming mother.

Loyia saw, out of the corner of her eye, the club coming like in a bad dream. Winded and too shocked to react, she faintly hoped that the hit would wake her from that horrible nightmare.

The Goblins took a screaming, biting and clawing Gab to the cage where the leader of the raiders waited, a satisfied expression on his face.

Massive, even for Ogre standards, the leader measured over nine feet tall. He was wearing a complete set of rusted and neglected black metal armour. The armour had the marking of the black dragon armies on it, identifying the beast as a soldier of the Dark Queen. The full plate armour was so heavy that only few humans on Krynn could even lift it from the ground. Attached on his left shoulder was a long chain onto which Groshlak had impaled several skulls: trophies taken from his most prestigious enemies. On his back rested two long swords placed in sheaths in an X pattern. An important feature of the Ogre was his missing left hand. It had probably been cut-off recently as the bandage covering the stump was mostly covered with blood. Even if he could only use one sword, for whatever reason, he was still carrying the two blades on his back.

"Another vermin, Groshlak!" announced proudly the Goblin. The Ogre took the young captive and ordered in his native language: "Open up the cage!" and with his shoulder, he pushed the Goblin toward the back of the cage.

The Goblin moved out of reach of the large Ogre and quickly opened the cage for him. The Ogre grabbed Gab by the throat and lifted him easily in the air so he could be at eye level with the child.

Gab tried to say something but he could not let any words pass the Ogre's grip. After a few heartbeats, the Ogre threw the kid inside the cage with much force. The young Kender boy went flying all across the cage where it hit the wall before dropping, unconscious, to the floor.

Groshlak let out a loud laugh and ordered: "We go! Now!" and putting action to words, he started to walk in front of his troops out of the devastated Kender community. The other Ogres followed him in front of the cage while the Goblins took the rear of the grim convoy.

Loyia slowly came back to consciousness. She could hear noise around her. Her eyes still closed, she heard people whispering. She felt more then heard movements around her. Some people mooning in pain, others were talking softly. She felt terrible pain in her head, her heartbeats vibrating through her temples.

Very slowly, she risked opening one eye. Fortunately for her, the room she was in was dark and dimly lit by candles. She saw movements and after some time, she could recognise Owena, the town healer, sitting next to her.

The very old Kender healer was telling something to Loyia. Trying to soothe her by the tone she was using but Loyia could not understand what she was saying. It was like if Owena was speaking a foreign language Loyia did not comprehend. The elder woman gently took back a loose bread of hair from the younger Kender's face back behind her pointed ear. While sadly smiling to Loyia, she warmly patted her on the shoulder, silently telling her to rest.

Confused, Loyia looked around her again. She finally recognised the large hut she was in. It was the small town's community hut, a place where the villagers used to gather to celebrate harvest festival, weddings and other joyful occasions. But right now, the big hut was turned into a shelter for the wounded; a makeshift hospital. There was a lot of people going about; most of them laying on mattresses, like Loyia, recovering; others going about trying to ease the pain from the wounded. Loyia could see that some Kenders were in very bad shape. Two males were also taking a dead friend out of the hut. When the door opened, the flash of the daylight blinded Loyia and made her head dizzy from the pain.

Her mind clearing up, she remembered the attack on the village. The group of Ogres arriving out of nowhere, killing, burning, stealing...

Loyia tried to rise to a sitting position but she immediately felt her vision dimming and saw black spots appearing. Owena said something that Loyia could not understand and felt back on her mattress. Looking next to her she feebly turned to the healer and asked through dried lips: "Where is Gab?"

Before the old woman could answer, Myrra, Loyia's younger sister, entered the hut. When she saw that Loyia was awake, she rushed to her bed, yelling and waving. Owena casted the young Kender a rebuking look that went completely unnoticed. "Loyia! You are finally awake! Oh-my, oh-my! I thought you would be in lala-land forever!"

"Myrra, calm down please," said Loyia. "My head hurts so much... Where is Gab? Have you seen him?"

"Oh yes, no worries! Last time I saw him, he was alive," replied an overexcited and smiling Myrra

It was hard for Loyia to talk but she had to know: "Where is he now? Where did you see him?" After taking a sip of water offered by Owena, Loyia continued to ask: "The last thing I remember was that awful Goblin taking him away."

Gently combing the hair of her sister, Myrra replied: "During the fight, I saw a huge Ogre taking kids prisoners and putting them into a wheeled cage. Gab was with them."

Loyia sounded very doubtful. "Why did Ogres take a six year old Kender prisoner?" Loyia had difficulties believing that but the news that Gab was not killed in the attack was a relief for the mother. It was possible to rescue a prisoner, but not a dead.

"I don't know," replied Myrra. "There is only one way to find out!"

"We need to leave at once!" Loyia tried to rise again and felt flat on her face, almost losing consciousness again. She was way too weak to stand on her own.

Owena grabbed her by the shoulder "Young one, you have been here for two days! Calm down. You are not fit for travel yet!" With the help of Myrra, she put Loyia back on her mattress.

It took two more days before Loyia was able to walk out of the community hut. With Myrra helping her, she reached the door and was able to have her first look at the village since the surprised attack by the raiding Ogres.

Hidden Pond was located in a small cove on the south beach of the Blood Sea of Istar. The small Kender village got its name because the bay was almost completely closed with just a small opening to the sea. The bottom of the small opening was very high so at low tide, a small portion of the sea was trapped in the bay, thus revealing the Hidden Pond. It was possible for the villagers to walk all around the pond at low tide without wetting their feet. Hidden Pond's inhabitants lived mainly on fishing, with all sorts of sea creatures (and other treasures) getting caught in the pond at low tide. It was easy for the Kenders to catch them with nets or fishing hooks.

The more adventurous and crafty Kenders in the village built boats that served mainly for recreation and exploration along the coast. Those few boats were normally attached to the village pier at the east end of the village.

The village itself was built mainly of small wood huts. The construction made mainly by a wood frame covered with furs and other material and fabrics. The houses were positioned along the side of a hill facing toward the sea with no particular order. The structures were connected by trails with no main roads. People just walked from one hut to another forming then a new trail. After some time new trails appeared and others, losing their fight against nature, faded back to the wilderness. Naming and organising the trails would have been useless and pointless to the Kender villagers who were not interested in any sort of organisation anyway.

People of Hidden Pond were as happy as any Kender community, going about their daily business. Older Kenders waving goodbye to younger ones as they left the village to explore the known world, only to return after many years to settle down, raise children and look at the newest generation going on.

The spectacle that awaited Loyia when she got out of the town community hut was a grim one. At least half of the small village's houses had been burned to the ground by the Ogres. The trail going to the cemetery was now so well traveled that it could be named a road. Sadly, the first road the settlement ever had.

All the dead villagers had been put to the ground, for their next journey, so the saying goes. But Kenders being Kenders, the mourning didn't last long. Loyia could see a group of six adults at work, rebuilding a hut. Right next to it, there were already two new constructions. Loyia could hear from the distance laughers and a song talking about fishing. Turning to the pond, she could see small silhouettes at work, catching the community's night meal.

The song raised the spirit of the mother. Where there was Kenders, there was hope, joy and life!

The springtime sea breeze was gentle on both sisters' face. Looking at the sun, Loyia guessed that they had two or three hours left before nightfall. Turning to Myrra, she said: "Let's go where they kidnapped Gab, please." Myrra smiled and guided her down a small trail leading toward the forest at the edge of the town.

As they walked, they crossed another villager. Smiling at Loyia, he immediately recognised the two sisters. Loyia was born and raised in Hidden Pond so when she became pregnant, she decided to return to her parents place to give birth and take care of her child. A few years later, her parents died and she promised them she would take care of her sister Myrra, until she was old enough to travel; so the three of them settled down in the small community. An accomplished adventurer in her younger years, she still preserved her hunter skills by returning for all sorts of small games to the village. Her sharp eyes have been the bane of many wild animals. Her aim with the small bow was famous in Hidden Pond. At the harvester festival, she was now forbidden to participate at any shooting contest; out of fairness to the other villagers. Like every Kender, she respects all living things. She would never take a life, be it a squirrel or a thief, if she could avoid it.

At first glance, it was hard to tell that the two girls were sisters. Just turning twenty, Myrra was smaller and thinner than her sister. While teasing her, boys in the village used to say that if she would fall off a cliff, her body would whistle on the way down. The acrobatic type, there was no cliff or tree that could resist her climbing skills. Fast and nimble, a mouse among the Kenders, she was a champion at dodging tag games. Always smiling, always happy, her good humour was contagious. It was impossible to stay in a bad mood while Myrra was around. Overactive, her auburn hair fashioned in two long braids never stays immobile for long and barely touches her back as Myrra was always in motion. Myrra's skill at crafting wood was well renowned in the village. Toys, baskets, furniture, everything that could be made out of wood were within her reach of skills. The small hut the two sisters shared along with Gab was always overcrowded with unfinished – or ongoing, as Myrra would say – projects.

A couple of months ago, Myrra felt ready to go out adventuring. She asked Loyia many times for tales of her travels in the large world. She would never get tired of listening to her older sister about the marvels on the road. With Gab sitting on her lap, Loyia was all too happy to tell the two youngsters of her adventures. Myrra made Loyia promise that when Gab was a bit older, the three of them would go out and discover more places and meet more people then Loyia did before. So they decided that next summer would be the time to go out.

"Isn't it great sister? We are finally going out adventuring! We just have to retrieve Gab on our way and from there we can continue on the road!" Myrra was supporting her sister while they walked toward the edge of the forest.

"Yes, well, we need to focus on retrieving Gab first. I'm afraid of what those big brutes might do to the village kids." Loyia was sad and furious that she let those monsters kidnap two town's kids.

"You always worry too much sister! Relax." Replied a smiling Myrra. "If they wanted to kill them, they would have done so in the village. No worries!"

While walking, they approached the location where Loyia was attacked. From their vintage point, Loyia could see the trail leading to the village.

Loyia walked to where she last saw Gab during the attack. Bending down, she could see the marks on the ground as the Ogre had dragged the small boy in the dirt. Looking at the marks, something caught Loyia's attention: a half buried toy. Gently removing the dirt from it, Loyia recognised Gab's small wooden dragon. She remembered that he was playing with it when they left the hut just before the attack.

The toy was broken in two. She gently took the two pieces in her hands and, pressing them against her breasts, hugged them. A deep sentiment of sorrow and despair engulfed her. Feeling Myrra's comforting hand on her shoulder, Loyia fought back tears and carefully put the broken toy inside her pouch, vowing to whichever gods might listen to her that soon she would give it back to her son.

"Don't worry sister, Gab is not far away. We will find him soon! I swear!"

"You are right sister. Let's get our stuff ready. We will leave in the morning and walk fast, following the tracks of those fiends." Resolve now replacing despair in the hearth of the young mother.

Shoulder to shoulder, the two sisters walked back to their small hut just before the sun settled down.

In the morning, as soon as the sun started to give some sign of light, the sisters were ready to travel. Loyia had still some stiffness in her legs but nothing a good walk would not correct. They packed everything the night before so both had a small backpack filled with provisions, a bedroll, flint and tinder, some length of rope, water skins, and of course, weapons. Loyia was equipped with her 2 daggers, one on each side of her waist, and her short bow slung on her back with a quiver full of arrows. Myrra was walking with her hoopak in hand. Both spear and slingshot, the small weapon was a Kender trademark.

"Ready sister?" asked Loyia.

"I was born ready!" replied Myrra, making a fierce looking face.

"You were born naked and crying, like the rest of us; I know because I was there!" smiled back Loyia. It was good going back on the road, even if she would have preferred going under different circumstances.

"I'm very happy that you are here to help me out Myr," Loyia gently squeezed Myrra's shoulder.

"No problems sis. Can we talk while walking? I will explode if we don't leave like RIGHT now!" giggled Myrra.

With those words, the sisters left Hidden Pond just as the sun showed some rays above the eastern mountains, leaving behind them the still sleeping village.

The tracks from the wheeled cage were very easy to follow in the muddy trail. Even a blinded gully dwarf could have followed them, remarked Loyia. It was obvious that the Ogre party was not relying on stealth but mainly on brute force. They expected no resistance from people from this part of the country.

"Do we have some sort of a plan, sister?" asked Myrra.

"A plan? That would be a first for the Kender nation," replied a smiling Loyia. Actually, after thinking about it, we do have a plan. We are going west, following the tracks and if I'm correct, they must be heading to the next Kender village along the coast. After that, they will probably be going to Flotsam or Port Balifor, the two major human cities in this region."

"I remember somebody saying that the black and white dragon armies control these two cities. I hope we can visit both?" asked Myrra.

"I would not be surprised if those Ogres are actually part of one of those two armies. We will find out soon enough," assured Loyia.

On Krynn, the continent of Ansalon was in full war. A year ago, the evil forces of the Goddess Takhisis launched an attack to seize control of the whole continent. Secretly waking up her dragons, which had been placed in a magical sleep at the end of the dragon war some centuries ago, the Goddess then formed huge armies known as the Dragon Armies. Lead by fierce and loyal Dragon High Lords, there were five of those armies. One for each color of the evil dragons it composed. The White Dragon army who controlled the white snow desert wastelands in the south beyond the ice wall. The Black Dragon army, whose vicious black dragons liked to live in swamps, already controlled the east part of the continent and major cities like Port Balifor and Flotsam. The Red Dragon army was the strongest of the five. Larger and stronger, the Red Dragon reigned supreme and was feared even amongst the other dragon armies. The Blue Dragon army lead by the Blue Lady whose tactics on the field gained her many victories against impossible odds. And finally the Green Dragon army was amongst the cruelest creatures who ever walked on Krynn.

Recently, the Queen Takhisis convoked the leaders of her armies to a meeting at Neraka, her capital, to witness her entry into the realm of mortals. Once in a physical form, she would be unstoppable and would win the war.

Opposing the Dragon armies, the Knights of Solamnia forged a fragile alliance with the elves and the dwarfs called "The Whitestone Council". Helped by the metallic colour dragons, they battled the evil dragon armies all across the continent.

The region of Goodlund, where Hidden Pond was located, was now an occupied territory. The Black Dragon army captured the two major human towns of the region and established its base of operation there. After several unsuccessful attempts to impose themselves in Kendermore, they decided that the effort was not worth whatever slaves, taxes or goods they might get from the Kenders. They had such a hard time trying to control the irrepressible and fearless Kenders that they mainly gave up and pretty much left them alone. So, to many small Kender villages, most of the people there hardly even knew about the war going on. On Krynn, news travel slowly to those isolated from the capitals of this world.

In Hidden Pond, the Ogres' attack was a surprise to them and only few could understand why they were being attacked in the first place.

The sisters continued their chat as they walked westward on the trail of the wheeled cage and the assailants who kidnapped the kids from the village.

Loyia set a fast pace for both of them. She really was hoping that they could catch the Ogres before they arrive to a big city. She knew it would be easier to steal back the kids during a night operation in the forest or in the wild, compared to a human city where Kenders are almost always restricted to enter in the first place. She also knew that during war time, those cities always had slave markets. She feared that the group they were following was in fact slavers. If they sold Gab to somebody else, it would be much more difficult to find her son after. Haste was very important right now. The slavers had four days of advance and if she remembered correctly, Flotsam was about six days of travel. She could only hope that they would walk slowly and maybe rest somewhere on the road. She sadly thought that the longer they would stay in the next Kender villager, the more it would help her get Gab back…

At night, they made a small camp, close to the road. Loyia felt her strength coming back to her legs. They made good distance today so she thought that tomorrow night they should be able to reach Twin Oak, their neighbouring village.

As the sun was starting to go down over the horizon, they decided to stop for the night. They found a spot close to the road but not visible from it, where the lower branch of a huge pine formed a small, natural shelter. After a quick meal composed mainly of dried fish and fruits, the sisters went to bed. They installed their bedrolls next to each other, face to face.

Without any reason, Myrra started to giggle, looking at Loyia. "What is it sis?" asked a puzzled Loyia.

"I don't know. I'm just happy to travel with you. I didn't have the chance to travel much. Well, not as much as I would have liked to."

Seeing Myrra's happiness eased the pain and worries in Loyia's hearth. They talked about wonders they would soon see and visit.

Tired of the day's walk, Myrra slowly fell asleep.

Loyia opened her pouch and retrieved the broken toy dragon.

Putting her weapons close at hand, she hugged the toy and fell asleep too, silently wishing Gab a good night, where ever he was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, even before they could see the sun, the sisters got up and got ready to return on the road. They rolled their bedrolls and put on their backpacks in silence, both of them still sleepy. Loyia found a clear stream close to their makeshift camp and they both filled their water skins. In a silent accord, they decided to eat breakfast on the road while walking. Speed was important now. They had to catch the Ogres before they got to a big city. Gab's life might depend on it.

Following the tracks was, as always, very easy. Both of them could clearly see the tracks left in the road's mud by the wheels of the huge cage.

Myrra was chatting a lot, trying to keep Loyia in good spirit. It was her main mission on this adventure, her self- made responsibility. She could see how her sister was affected by the kidnapping of the young Gab. Myrra was also worried for him but she was seeing the kidnapping more like an adventure then her older sister was. And besides, as she told herself often, being in a bad mood would not help them get to the Ogres faster; so better make it an enjoyable experience.

Suddenly, Loyia stopped in mid stride, putting a hand on Myrra's forearm, an alarmed look on her face. Looking confused, Myrra looked at her sister and whispered: "What's up?"

With a finger on her lips, Loyia asked for silence. She then put her hands in a cup fashion next to her ears. The natural sign for: listen up.

Myrra slowly turned her head around and listened carefully. She could hear sounds coming from further down the road. It reminded her of a metal worker she saw once at a town fare: metal hammer beating on metal anvil.

"Battle!" said Loyia, while removing her bow from behind her back and notching an arrow.

Both sisters heard a muffled cry, short, as if somebody lifted something heavy, coming from the same direction.

"Follow me and be silent, sis," ordered Loyia while moving sideways toward the woods. Leaving the road, Loyia moved about twenty paces away from the road and resumed the same direction they were traveling in the morning, toward the fight. Myrra, hoopak in hand, silently followed her sister.

It took them a couple of minutes before they could find out what was happening. The road they were following met another one going south. The junction of the roads made a crude T shape and a small clearing enveloped the T. Inside the clearing, on the road, a battle was being fought. A Kender male, in his mid twenties, was fighting with two Goblins. A third one was already dead on the ground. The Kender was using a shield and a sword to fight his opponents. Tall, for his specie and well muscled, the Kender-warrior looked like he was having fun while fighting his opponents. His forearms and tibia were covered with miss-matched armour while on his much battered shield, a big green apple had been painted.

Loyia was impressed by the way this newcomer used his shield with such an effectiveness she rarely saw. Every attack the Goblins made was either blocked, deflected or parried.

Loyia didn't waste time. This was a Kender and she had to help him out! Raising her bow, she took aim and let an arrow go. Her aim was true and she hit one of the Goblins right in the neck. The ugly creature immediately dropped on the ground making gurgling sounds trying to remove the wooden shaft.

Both the warrior and the other Goblin jumped by surprise at this unexpected intervention. However, the Kender reacted quickly, seeing the opportunity and made a thrust at his opponent with his short sword. Unfortunately for him, the cuirass of the Goblin's armour deflected the hit without causing any harm to the evil creature.

The remaining Goblin was then aware that a new enemy was close by. He slowly retreated and raised his shield, looking around without losing the Kender male out of sight. The fight had been fun at the beginning when the odds were three against one but now he was alone against at least two enemies. It did not represent the way Goblins normally fight. Not a Goblin's odd anyway. So the creature was now looking for a way out of this situation, and with all its skin if possible.

The warrior was slowly advancing toward the Goblin. It was plainly evident that the Kender warrior was having fun in all this. He was also very curious about his new found invisible ally but he had enough experience to not get distracted by that fact. He won't let any advantage to the Goblin. He saw the nervousness of his opponent and waited patiently for him to make a fatal mistake. He didn't have to wait long.

Desperation getting the better of it, the Goblin decided to try to knock down the shield wearing Kender and run for it. With a mighty yell, the greenish fiend rushed, shield raised, toward his smaller adversary.

The Kender was ready and standing in a solid position, legs spread apart for better stability, and ready to receive the charge. As both shields clashed, the Kender used the Goblin's momentum against him by diverting its attack sideway. The Goblin was expecting a resistance but instead was directed sideway. He clumsily started to fall forward by this unexpected lack of resistance. The warrior gave him a backward push with his shield just to be sure the green fiend had enough momentum to fall.

Flat on his face, the Goblin was now an easy target for Loyia. She let free her second arrow to finish off the creature.

The newcomer was breathing heavily even thought he was all smiles. Taking a quick look around to make sure no more assailants would come.

Loyia waited a couple of heartbeats also to make sure the danger was passed. But before she could reveal herself, Myrra came rushing pass her, running into the clearing.

"Oh my, oh my! Hello there!" yelled an over enthusiastic Myrra.

"Hello my lady," said the Kender-warrior while doing a courteous bow for the younger girl. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Lord Kenero; but you can call me Skwejee. Let's drop the formalities since I now owe you my life."

And with that, Skwejee took Myrra's hand and tried to raise it to his mouth for a formal kiss but Loyia, just arriving from the woods, gave the newcomer a slap on his hand. "Hey you, nobody kisses my sister. Come sis, let's go, we are losing precious time." Taking a giggling Myrra by the arm, Loyia lead her back toward the road.

Skwejee was taken aback. His formal tone gone, he replied, while catching up on the girls: "but, but, where are you going? Wait! We can travel together if you want?"

"Thank you but no thank you. _Lord_ Kenero."

"But Sister," said Myrra, stopping to walk, "we might need his help. He looks like a good fighter to me and we will need all the help we can get when we catch the Ogre party."

Loyia stopped walking also. She looked at Skwejee up and down, a disapproving look on her face.

"What are you doing here in the first place?" suddenly asked Loyia to the would-be companion.

"Well, I am looking for a group of Ogres who are kidnapping Kenders."

Loyia was shocked: "Where have you heard about them?"

"I was in Kendermore a couple of days ago and heard about the rumour that a rampaging Ogre party was causing trouble on every small village they crossed. So I decided, since it is my duty, to find the Ogres, kill them and save those captives." Skwejee looked at Myrra with an air of self importance, inflating his chest for effect. Seeing it worked on the young girl, he then dropped on the ground and looked carefully at the tracks of the wheel cage for a second. Nodding to himself, satisfied, he pointed eastward and proclaimed: "So I'm going east to catch them."

Both sisters were speechless. Myrra was impressed by the newcomer and Loyia was about to kill him for wasting her time.

"They are traveling _that_ way!" Loyia pointed westward.

"Are you sure Honey?" asked back a very sceptical warrior whose chest went back to normal proportions before he could even blink.

"Of course I'm sure! Look at the footprints. Toes normally point forward, not backward!" Loyia was about to lose it and add some juicy insults at this poor excuse of a Kender.

"Oh… yeah… you are right. You must be a good hunter then!" Skwejee was very proud at his logical deduction.

"That and I do have a brain!" Loyia could not believe this was really happening to her.

"Why would you care about those Ogres, anyway?" Loyia pressed on the warrior. "And can you talk and walk at the same time? We are in a hurry here; let's not waste more time."

Feeling he was now officially admitted into the group, Skwejee was all smiles again. He resumed his march and his formal tone: "Well, it is my Knightly duty to help the weak and the poor. So I took upon myself to rescue them from those ugly creatures!"

Myrra was very impressed by both Skwejee and his story. "So you are some sort of Knight then? How very… noble of you!"

Skwejee was about to say yes but, catching the stone-cold look of Loyia, he replied instead: "Well, not exactly… not yet I mean. Let's say I'm working toward that goal! That is why I must do Knightly stuff so I can prove my valour, or something like that."

"Where did you take such a stupid idea?" asked Loyia, shaking her head. She accelerated her pace in a not-so-subtle attempt to lose the would-be Knight behind in his heavy armour. But it proved out that Skwejee had more stamina then Loyia gave him credit for.

"Stop that sister!" Myrra gave an elbow hit in the ribs of Loyia.

"Stop what?"

"Stop _that_! Skwejee would like to help us out! Can you at least show him some respect?"

A heavy silence fell on the small group. Skwejee wished he was a mage so he could have disappeared right at that moment. However, taking no chances, he kept his shield between the older sister and himself; it was the best he could do right now.

Letting out a deep sigh, Loyia apologised to the would-be Knight: "Sorry Skwejee. What I meant to say was: where did you get that _interesting_ idea?"

Myrra gently patted Loyia on the shoulder with an approving smile.

It was all Skwejee needed to get him started on his Knightly quests and tales. For the better part of the morning, he told the sisters about his adventures and incredible deeds on his trek for achievement; how he had met a Solamnic Knight and how he learned about the life as a Knight and so he decided to be one someday.

Far to the west, in Solamnia, an order of Knights maintained peace. The order was founded a long time ago by Vinas Solamnus after a rebellion against his tyrannical Lord. Since then, the order was a bastion of virtue and rightfulness. The Knights were following a strict code of conduct, both in normal life and on the battlefield. A Knight was given a land to manage and was responsible to the well being of the people living on it. Only a human male could be named Solamnic Knight and through a very hard and difficult process. The would-be Knight had to prove his worth in combat, bravery and nobility. After that, he had to be presented to one of the three Gods overseeing the Knightly order, to be finally admitted.

Since the start of the war of the lance, those Knights were often seen leading footmen armies against the Dark Queen's forces. Sitting on their dragons, they were a beacon of hope in those troubled times.

"So I've been the squire of Sir Longbow," finished the young male. Myrra was listening intently to every word he was saying. The sun was warming her back and, walking beside Skwejee, she was having the best time of her life. It was what she always dreamed of. Adventures, meeting new friends; all this was very exiting so far.

"How long have you been Sir Longbow's Knight?" asked Loyia in a casual conversational way. She was walking just in front of the group, taking upon her the responsibility of the group's safety. She would have preferred to leave the would-be Knight behind. She preferred to rely on her own and on those she trusted, like Myrra. The newcomer was a good fighter but she knew that to free the kids, they would need to rely much more on stealth then strength. It would be a suicide to openly confront the Ogres. So she doubted that the warrior would be useful in this adventure. Besides, she thought that Skwejee must have fallen from a tree, hitting every branch with his head on his way down, leaving permanent brain damage. But Myrra seemed to like him and there was plenty of time and opportunities to lose him on the way.

"Well… almost an evening in fact. But I didn't need more time to convince me it would be the way I wanted the rest of my life to be!" Skwejee was always having his shield and sword in his hands while walking. He made practice moves in the air, more for a show to Myrra then for any form of physical improvements. He was also enjoying himself very much.

"So, you have seen a lot of fights and combats I presume?" asked Myrra with genuine interest. She would never be tired of tales and stories and the warrior was an endless source of tales and stories; some of them even true!

"I just came back from a campaign against the Black Dragon army! I was with our great leader Kronin Thirsthywhistle."

"You know Kronin?" asked a suddenly interested Loyia. Myrra was happy to see them make peace finally.

"Yup! Been with him for a couple of months now. We went all the way to SancristIsland for an important meeting with real Knights and members of all the races of Ansalon. After that we even killed a dragon High Lord!" Skwejee was obviously very proud of his achievements.

Loyia stopped walking.

"You killed a dragon High Lord? Here in Goodlund? Who?"

"Oh yes, honey; dragon High Lord Toede of the white dragon army! Kronin killed him by himself! In a single combat! We even heard rumours that after his death, the leader of all the five dragon armies, Ariakas himself had called a meeting at Neraka to elect a new High Lord to replace Toede."

Loyia resumed her walking. She was shocked by this news of great importance. The white and the black dragon armies where both very present in Goodlund. So anything that affects those armies, affects the people of Goodlund.

"I don't know if this is good or bad news for us," said thoughtfully Loyia.

"An evil leader's death sounds like good news to me!" replied Myrra.

"Depends who replaces him. Anyway, like Myrra said, this is a good achievement!"

Skwejee was in a very good mood. Inflating his chest again, he looked very proud.

"After I rescue the kids from the Ogres, who by the way are part of the Black Dragon army, I will go to Neraka to gather information about this new High Lord," announced Skwejee.

"Sister! Maybe we can go with him after we get Gab back?" Myrra was over excited.

Loyia looked at Myrra, thinking hard.

"We will see. We will need to get the kids back first. Maybe after that we could," suggested Loyia.

"Oh yes! It will be great!"

"Who is Gab?" asked Skwejee.

Myrra was very happy to tell the newcomer about the attack in Hidden Pond and the kidnapping of Gab. She also told him about their own quest for rescuing the kids. They also talked about Myrra's future adventures, and Skwejee's passed one.

Loyia stayed vigilant in this now hostile countryside, listening to the youngsters babbling with only one ear. She gave Skwejee a hard look once in a while to help him keep his story at least to a somewhat believable level. The would-be Knight got the hint and kept his kill record in the five to one ratio instead of the initial twenty to one range.

During a brief pause, while Loyia was scouting alone on a hill overlooking the Kender village of Twin Oaks, the new youngsters had finally a private talk.

"Your sister is… different. Not like any Kender women I've ever met. And I've met quite a few!" Skwejee was all smiles.

"Really? Exactly how many women have you _met_?" asked a frowning Myrra.

"Not that many. And more like friends, you know; but what about your sister?" Skwejee tried to redirect the conversation in a not so subtle way.

With a disapproving look on her face, Myrra decided to go on anyway: "well, she is very much affected by the kidnapping of her son. That is why she is always on the edge. She also doesn't trust strangers easily; but that, I can't say why."

"Oh, I see. That could explain why she is not much smiling and enjoying this trip! Losing a child must not be easy."

Myrra looked at her older sister in the distance, coming back from the top of that hill, a look full of affection.

"She is a very good person you know. And Gab is everything for her, for us."

Myrra looked Skwejee straight in the eyes and asked: "Can you promise me, on your Knightly code, to help us get Gab back?"

Skwejee was touched by the bound between the sisters. Kneeling, he answered: "I promise on my shield that I will get no pause until Gab is back with his mother."

Before Myrra could reply, Loyia came back from her scouting: "Already proposing? That was quick." Without waiting for a reply she continued: "I had a good view of the town from the top of the hill. No more Ogres in Twin Oaks for sure."

Skwejee raised, open mouthed; he tried to babble an excuse to explain that he was not proposing. When he realised Loyia was not listening to him anyway, he just shut his mouth and made a side glance at Myrra who was having a really hard time not laughing.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

One of the cage's wheels was making a regular squeak every turn it made. One of the Ogre warriors, walking next to the cage, was hypnotised by the sound and put his left foot on the ground exactly at the sound of the wheel. He was walking in perfect synchronisation without even realising it. The only thing that the Ogre noticed was the lack of chatting, gibbering, taunting and insults coming from the cage's occupants. And for that, he was blessing the Dark Lady. The prisoners had been a real nightmare. Normally, when prisoners realise that there is nothing they can do, they usually save their strength, dreaming of escape, observing for any opportunities; but not the Kender kids. Oh no, thought the Ogre guard. Those fiends were all too happy to torment the guards for no apparent reason or purpose. "And people calls _us_ evil!" thought the guard in reference to the mental torture the kids put on the Ogres during the long days on the road.

Groshlak had to stop his guards more than once or else the kids would all be dead by now: "Niclash said alive! Nobody touch the prisoners!"

The Ogre leader came with an idea that proved to be successful. He decided to cut down the water and the food. No food, no energy. No energy, no endless chattering and bugging.

Groshlak was walking in front of the small convoy, eager to get to the city so he could get rid of the Kenders but also, not eager to enter the human city. The road, after making a sharp turn and coming out of the woods, finally revealed the city port of Flotsam.

Built many centuries ago, the human city used to be the capital of the region of Goodlund. It was also the main port for the entire northern coast serving both Goodlund and Balifor. People, from as far as the Khur desert to the west, came to Flotsam to make commerce or to embark on the many ships that usually berth in its safe harbour. The city itself was smaller than the capital of Solamnia or Ergoth but was big enough to have all the modern commodities. The town square was alive with costumers and sellers making business. The city guard had a constant and vigilant look around. The city itself was surrounded by a high rock wall, making the city a fortified one. In case of trouble, it was possible to close the doors and defenders could mend the walls to protect the city from any would-be intruders.

That day, the city looked more like a military base since the dragon armies invaded it and established their base of operation for the region of Goodlund. When the White Dragon army showed up on the city's doorsteps, the mayor had the good sense to capitulate without a fight, knowing that it would be a waste of lives to resist the might of the Dark Queen's forces. There is so much stone walls could do against dragons anyway.

Most of the people decided to stay in the city and they soon realised that the invasion wasn't as bad for them as they thought it would be. Discipline was maintained by the dragon armies' officers and some even dared to say that the business brought by the soldiers on leaves was good. That day, the city was overcrowded. Most of the troops camped outside the city walls and the city's inns were all booked up, filled to capacity by the officers and their guards.

From his vintage point, atop the small hill, Groshlak could see several dragons taking off or landing in the numerous camps around the overcrowded city. Three ships could be seen approaching the city port. The forces of the Dark Queen are moving toward Neraka for the meeting, thought Groshlak.

The brutish fiend was not happy to go to Flotsam. The city was full of the stench of humans. In every human he meets, he sees the cowardly Knight who had fatally injured his hand in combat, diminishing him to the rank and function of slave master, or babysitter, as he often told himself, stealing him from his great destiny among the Black Dragon army.

Looking at his left arm, where his hand should be, only made his anger bigger. Turning at the cage, he gave it a hard shake with his only hand, to wake up the Kender kids inside.

"Wake up rats! Look at your doom!" said Groshlak in the common language. The Ogre could easily speak to Ogre and Goblins but it was more difficult for him to talk in common. His vocabulary was more limited.

A nearby Goblin guard dared to reply: "Please, silence master. Don't wake them or they will start bugging us again!"

Enraged, Groshlak pushed the Goblin on the ground with all his strength and drew his sword. Walking next to a retreating Goblin, he said: "I'll do like I want with Kender! I'll do like I want with your greenish skin also! Clear?"

Without waiting for a reply, he hit the Goblin with the flat side of his blade right in the midsection of the guard. The Goblin had the good idea to stop moving, winded, and waited patiently that his master moved on. Barely controlling his anger, Groshlak turned around and started walking back toward Flotsam, leaving the guard to catch his breath and reach for the relative safety of the column's rear.

Approaching the many tents boarding the city, it was an easy task for the party leader to find the Black Army encampment. After half an hour, the group and their captives finally approached the sentry guarding the entrance of the army's camp. Even if fighting on the same side in this war, there was little trust between the different dragon armies. The sentry ailed the Ogre group before letting them enter the encampment.

"Who goes there?" asked the human guarding the entrance. He was dressed in full uniform and apparently enjoying his official status. He was the type of guard who took his duty too seriously.

"Groshlak," replied nonchalantly the Ogre without even looking at the little human in front of him.

"And what do you have there Groshlak?" pressed on the guard who saw the Ogre as a defiance to his authority.

"Me, on mission for dragon High Lord Lucien of Takar."

"Yeah, yeah, aren't we all?" replied mockingly the guard.

Groshlak turned his gaze at the human. He had to lower his sight a lot to be able to see the guard's eyes. His patience was getting stretched to the limit. But it was no use fighting this guard. It would only delay his departure from this place. All he wanted was to get rid of the Kenders and move on to another assignment, one that would give him some combat. Not some stupid babysitting stuff.

"Dragon High Lord here?"

"Nah, he left a couple of days ago for Neraka for the big gathering. But you probably already knew that since you two are the best buddies around," joked the guardian.

With barely controlled anger, the massive Ogre continued: "You tell me where is Dark Priest Niclash before I broke your skull in pieces?" adding action to words, Groshlak slowly removed his sword from its sheath and pretended to inspect its edges. The sword, if such an iron bar could merit the name, was almost as heavy as the human sentry. The last time the sword was sharpened was probably before the cataclysm, some three hundred years ago. As the Ogre saying goes: "Cut or grind, no difference."

If that was not enough, four more Ogres from the group came to their leader to see what was delaying the convoy. They were eager to go on leave and enjoy the city's numerous "attractions".

Getting the hint, the sentry's survival instinct finally kicked in and he wisely decided to stop picking on the brutes. There is so much protection an official function can give. "He left not too long ago for the city. He said he would be spending the night at the inn: The Lost Ship Inn."

"Good"

Putting his blade back on its back, Groshlak signalled the group forward.

Finding a small spot in the Black Army encampment was no small feat. The place was overcrowded with troops, horse pens, dragons pens (those two had to be separated by some distance or else the horses would go crazy). Circulating with the big clumsy wheeled cage was another problem. After much shoving, pushing, yelling, and a small brawl (initiated by the Kenders who decided to wake up for the occasion and didn't miss any opportunity to insult everybody within hearing range), the group finally found a place to park the cage wagon and the leader gave orders to his subordinates: "Wait here. Don't touch the Kenders. I will be back soon."

Making one last check at his group and the captives, Groshlak crossed the Black Army encampment again in the direction of the city gates. The walk was a short one. The Ogre saw very soon that yet another guard was guarding it. Deciding to save time, he withdrew his sword before talking to the guard. To his amazement and relief, the guard just made a small node and let the Ogre pass without any question.

Entering the city walls, Groshlak kept his sword drawn at the ready but fortunately for him, his huge size alone guaranteed him an eventless walk to the inn he was seeking. During his walk, he recognised some of his old comrades at arms from the time he was in active duty, from the time he had his two hands, from the time he was not a cripple, as some would say in his back. Groshlak completely ignored them. Talking with them would only reopen his moral wound and serve no purpose. Only the dragon High Lord could re-establish him in his old company and the Ogre was supposed to deliver the prisoners to him. It would be his chance to meet him and talk to him. A rare opportunity as the High Lord was very busy (and a bit paranoid) so he admitted few people close to him, if not absolutely necessary. But if he truly had already left for Neraka, Groshlak would have to take a difficult decision: leaving the Kenders here and be done with them or carrying that vermin all the way to Neraka in order to be able to talk to the High Lord.

But first things first, thought Groshlak. Let's find the Dark Priest. He will know what to do.

The Inn of the Lost Ship was actually a normal big house turned overnight into an inn by the necessities of the war. The Ogre could hear and smell the humans inside the inn. It was easy to imagine the large, drunk crowd inside the place so Groshlak waited a couple of heartbeats to make a reserve of fresh air and patience, before entering the place.

The Ogre entered directly into the common room. It was very small, much smaller than the noise outside could make it possible to believe. Overfilled with patrons, the Ogre had to shove his way to the bar. The inn keeper, behind his small bar, asked the Ogre if he wanted a drink. Ignoring him, Groshlak looked at the people in the common room. The Dark Priest was easy to find in the crowd as people respectfully (or fearfully) gave him as much space as possible. It was bad luck to touch a Dark Priest, so imagine what it would be to bump into one!

Seeing his partner, the priest pointed at the door as a sign to meet him outside of the inn. The bent over Ogre was all too happy to comply and exited the place as fast as he could, to the perils of any unfortunate beings that just happened to be between the towering brute and free air.

Once outside, Niclash acknowledged his partner: "So how was the trip east?"

People walking on the street made a small nod to the priest of Takhisis, more out of fear then out of respect. The Dark Priest enjoyed a formidable protection everywhere he went in the dragon armies. The Dark Queen was renowned to be very protective of her followers and was granting them very powerful abilities and powers. It was always better to have a priest of Takhisis on your side then against you.

The Dark Priest was small of stature. A few years over twenty, he was draped in a long black robe. A hood pulled over his face covered his delicate facial features. The only ornament he possessed was a medallion pending on his neck , representing a dragon with five heads, the symbols of the goddess he represented. A novice in his order, his ambitions knew no boundaries. He would do anything to see him climb the hierarchical ladder of his order. He saw living being only a way to gain power and title. He would torture and kill his own mother to gain prestige in the priesthood if somebody else hadn't already done it. He was not cruel, he only saw opportunities everywhere. And to gain the favour of the most cruel and evil Goddess that existed in the abyss, one had to do dirty jobs.

"Boring! Got some little devils," replied clumsily in common the giant Ogre.

Since Niclash was a novice in the Dark Priest order, and Groshlak was a slave master in the dragon army, there was no direct military link between the two partners. Neither was the boss of the other. Only mutual interests linked the two partners. They met about two weeks ago on the battlefield, during the battle into which he lost his left hand. The priest had been able to save the Ogre's life by making his opponent blind with the use of his dark powers for a few precious and fatal seconds, fatal for the Solamnic Knight. Two days after the battle, Niclash found the wounded Ogre in the army camp and learned about his demotion. Thinking that it might be useful to have such a good fighter at his side, Niclash decided to let Groshlak into his plan; a plan about kidnapping Kender kids...

"Good, good. We should bring them to Neraka for the meeting then," replied a satisfied Niclash.

"No! Was supposed to drop them in Flotsam! I'm done now!" The Ogre let out an angry shout at the sky. Passersby looked alarmingly at the giant and quickly moved away. Niclash didn't even blink, so confident he was, in the Dark Priest protection.

Thinking for a couple of heartbeats, Niclash continued calmly, like a patient father, explaining a simple fact to his young kid: "Listen Groshlak, in a couple of days, the Dark Queen will enter the mortal world at Neraka during the meeting."

"The Dark Queen here? In mortal form?" interrupted the Ogre. Groshlak was very surprised by that news. He instinctively looked at his left stump.

"Quiet," hushed the priest, "we must be secret about that. Not everybody knows about that fact. The information is valuable for us. It would be very good for both of us to be able to be there when that happens. Those little bastards could be our entry ticket to the dark temple. Not that many people will be able to enter the temple for the ceremony." Looking also at the Ogre's missing left hand, the dark cleric continued: "when that happens, it will be a good time for me to ask a favour to our Queen. Yes, she could restore your lost hand, my friend."

It was too good to be true. Groshlak survived all those years for a reason. He was careful. He looked intently at his human counterpart and asked: "Why you help me?"

"It would be beneficial to both of us. I will be in the favour of our Queen. It would increase my power! And with your hand restored, you could help me kill my master, the High Priest Tolistan. With him out of the picture, I could take his place and restore you to a position of your choice in the army or beside me as an honour guard. Whatever you want will be possible but for that, I need your help a little longer my friend."

Groshlak never had a friend and he was pretty sure he didn't have one now. But the proposition was a good one and besides, he had nothing left to lose. It would be the first time he would murder somebody on his own side. The Dark Queen encourages those little schemes to insure that only the strongest survive and fill up her ranks.

"Don't know… It seems too easy," The Ogre was fishing to see if there was something else behind all that. One was never too careful when dealing "promotions" in the dragon armies.

"It will take only a couple of days from here to Neraka. What do you have to lose?" pointed out Niclash.

The Ogre was thinking hard about the proposition, suffering the humiliation again of taking care of those little thieves. Entering the capital of the dragon armies leading a bunch of drop off carrying Kender kids was not exactly what he had in mind. But if he could recover his hand, his military career could be restored at last! And so would his revenge of the Solamnic Knight be possible.

"Ok. I'm in," he said reluctantly.

"Good my friend, good."

"But maybe they die in the desert? Hard to cross," pointed out Groshlak.

"We will buy some supplies to make sure that most of them make it." The priest instinctively patted his purse.

Nodding, the Ogre said: "Let's go. Sooner we done, better ."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The sun was already below the ocean level on the west when the Kender party approached Twin Oaks.

Twin Oaks was located next to the Blood Sea Ocean. A small cliff separated the town from the water body. A trail had been built to help connect the village to the beach where laid peers and small fishing boats. In the middle of the town there used to be two huge oaks separated by about eighty human paces (around one hundred thirty Kenders paces). The town square was placed right in the middle of the two giant trees. It was the center of the community, a big common field and at the center was a circle made of rocks where fires could be held.

Weddings were celebrated between those oaks as well as funerals. Every gathering the community had was held there. A long rope bridge connected the two trees at about half their height. The bridge was used by the Kender kids to connect their numerous self-made tree houses populating the branches of the trees. In fact, there used to be more tree houses then real houses in the village. It is said that Twin Oaks' kids rarely sleep home. That could explain why Twin Oaks had the highest birth rate per couple in all of the Kender communities…

Right now, one of the massive oak was laying on the ground. It had visibly been recently hacked at the base. As it was falling, it crashed on several small houses. It must have been very impressive to see the huge tree fall. Many Kenders were working on the fallen oak, removing branches to get access under the tree, probably to salvage what could be left from the small huts that were smashed from the huge tree. An old female Kender was shouting a name repeatedly while looking under the tree. It was evident that she was looking for a missing fellow.

As it entered the town, the group was greeted very kindly by the town folks. Looking around, Myrra saw evident traces of the Ogres' passage. Like in Hidden Pond, many houses where burned to the ground. Many Kenders were wounded, limping, or having bandages around various parts of their body. Myrra was looking everywhere. It was her first time in another village and at some point, the village pretty much resembled Hidden Pond.

The villagers gathered around them. They soon began to exchange information about the attack from the Ogres in Goodlund.

Loyia learned that the Ogres used the same basic brutish tactics here as they did in Hidden Pond. They arrived from the road, rushed into the village, kidnapped a couple of kids and, seeing the youngsters fleeing in the oak, they decided to hack it to grab them. Defenders in the village tried to fight back the Ogres but it was useless.

"Most of the kids got in the tree, to their tree house, when the attack began. They thought the Ogres were playing hide and seek. Seeing that, the Ogres decided to cut the tree down to retrieve the youngsters," sadly explained a father.

"Oh… did they capture all of them?" asked Myrra.

"Most of them survived the fall of the tree and were put in the giant cage. The others are gone for their final journey. My daughter is one of them."

"My, my, I'm sorry," said a very sad Myrra.

Turning her head, she looked at Skwejee who was also talking with some town folks about the attack. The would-be Knight had his jaws set and crisped. He was angry that such large creatures attacked innocent and harmless fellows. Myrra noticed that his left hand was resting on his sword hilt. The knuckle was white as the Kender was gripping his hilt very hard from frustration.

If Skwejee had been there, he would have died defending the kids, thought Myrra with admiration.

To lower the tension in the group, Myrra tried to change the subject: "It is bad now that Twin Oaks won't be able to be called Twin Oaks anymore."

"Of course we are still the town of Twin Oaks!" said several Kenders, all smiling and pointing to a small oak sapling. No higher than the average Kender, the sapling was recently put to the ground in about the same  
>distance from the big one but on a different direction, away from the actual town square.<p>

"We wanted to move the center of the town a little bit to the west anyway," said the mayor of the small community; "because of the expansion and all that…"

"No better time than now to do some changes!" Myrra had moved closer to Skwejee. She took him by the arm and gave him a little punch on the shoulder.

The Kenders acknowledged silently. Skwejee looked at Myrra and gave her a smile. Smiling back, Myrra looked around the village again and a strange sight caught her eyes.

A human was in the village. It was a strange sight because normally, for a reason unknown to Kenders, human tend to evade every Kender community as much as they can. The human was a male and probably a warrior by trade. Having a shield slung on his back and a sword hanging on his belt. Missing any logo or heraldry on his clothes or shield marked him as a probable mercenary. Physically, there was nothing special about that human. What was out of the ordinary was the way he acted, what he inspired. He had a look of calmness and self confidence around him; almost of nobility. He gave the feeling that he was used to settle disputes and conflicts without the use of violence, even though he looked quite capable of using that sword to great efficiency. That made him out of place as a mercenary, as far away to a normal bullying brute as could be.

"Hey sis, look over there!" Myrra pointed toward the warrior.

"Human," Loyia spat the word as if it tasted badly. "And a goddamn mercenary as it looks like! Let's stay clear of him as much as we can."

"Hum… there is something strange about this guy," said Skwejee, looking carefully at the stranger.

"What? He is not killing weaker beings? That's what is looking strange to me!" Loyia was regarding the stranger with clear distaste on her face.

"On the contrary! Look carefully, he is kneeling, while talking to that elder; like if he wants to accommodate her," observed Skwejee.

Snorting in disgust, Loyia replied: "Or he is treating her like a human kid."

"Maybe… then it would say that the guy is used to be around kids; what would make him a caring father, or something. Not a blood thirsty mercenary," Skwejee pointed out.

"That's right," added Myrra.

Loyia stopped walking and looked at the newcomer carefully. As much as she was surprised by Skwejee's reasoning, the Kender would-be Knight was right. The mercenary was acting rather patiently and with great respect with the elder Kender woman while gently retrieving his gears that some youngsters took by accident from his pack.

"I must admit that you might be right, Skwejee, but nevertheless, he is a human and not to be trusted. Let's move on," Loyia was adamant on her verdict of the stranger.

But before the group started back to walk toward the center of the town, the mercenary noticed them. Saluting the elder, he started to walk toward the small group.

Seeing him moving toward them, Loyia started to walk away: "Quick. Let's move!"

"Please wait!" hailed the human.

Myrra was too intrigued to obey her sister: "Hello stranger! My name is Myrra. This is Loyia and here is Skwejee. What is your name? We are chasing a group of Ogres that… Ouch!" Loyia pocked Myrra in the back, finally silencing her.

Looking a bit confused, the tall man said: "Good evening. My name is Khad. I saw you coming from the east. May I ask you a question please?"

"You already did; too bad. Bye!" Loyia grabbed both the younger Kenders and tried to make them move on but none of them would give up, intrigued by this new encounter.

"Please, it will take just one minute of your time."

"Ok but first, who are you exactly?" asked an impatient Loyia. She gave up trying to evade the encounter so she decided to do what she does best; plunging headlong into it.

"My name is Khad…"

Loyia cut the human in mid sentence: "We know that. What I want to know is what you are doing in this small Kender village?"

Khad replied to the Kenders: "My friend and I are mercenaries looking for work when our ship was caught by an enormous storm on the Blood Sea. We were traveling on two different ships and during the storm, our vessels collided. My friend's ship went down very fast and our captain tried to reach the coast before his vessel sunk, but not in time. His ship broke into pieces and most of the people on board drowned."

"Why were you and your friend traveling on separate ships?" asked Myrra. "That is strange."

"Well, it is hard to explain but we preferred not to be seen together. In case something happened to one of us. Safer, you know?" explained Khad.

"No, we don't know. We are used to travel with our friends, unless we have something to hide… What do you have to hide?" accused Loyia

"I have nothing to hide. It is just safer to do it that way," patiently explained the mercenary.

"What makes you think your friend survived the shipwreck?" Myrra was all ears for this very interesting sea story. This day could not have been more interesting for the young adventurer. She was enjoying every second of it.

"My friend is very… resourceful. But I lost track of him. So maybe you have seen him?" Khad was trying to get the conversation going on.

"Why should we help you? So you can continue to kidnap Kender kids for the Black Dragon army?" accused Loyia.

Before Khad could reply, Skwejee jumped inside the conversation: "I think you are a Solamnic Knight on a mission!"

Everybody stopped talking and looked at the Kender. The most surprised of them all was Khad.

"What? No… I'm a mercenary! And I'm not working for the dragon army neither."

"What makes you think he is a Solamnic Knight?" asked Loyia to Skwejee, ignoring the mercenary's reply.

"A feeling. I've been around them for some time you know. And this guy is acting exactly like one of them," Skwejee made Khad a big not-so-subtle wink, as if both shared an important secret.

Loyia was thinking hard while looking at the mercenary who was trying to get his voice back.

Loyia had an idea: "I have a map here. It could help you find where your friend is."

"Can I have a look at it please?" asked Khad.

"Sure, but first, since you are a blood thirsty mercenary, you have to redeem yourself from your evil past deeds," said Loyia with a broad smile. She turned around and giggled at the other Kenders.

The other two Kenders understood where the older was going. They winked between themselves, also smiling.

"This is going to be fun!" said Myrra.

"One redemption task list coming up!" yelled Skwejee. He removed his backpack and gave it to Khad hoping that he would transport the heavy burden.

"I don't like where this is going. And no, I'm not going to be your slave for the next couple of days just to look at a map!" Khad was firm on that.

"Ha! ha! Ok, let's move. Leave that evil mercenary to his dirty work" Loyia grabbed Skwejee's backpack and gave it back to its owner.

It was Khad's turn to counterattack the Kender group: "I don't need you anyway to find my Magic User friend…" he said, making a side glance at the group, barely suppressing a smile.

They all stared at Khad, open mouthed and they all talked at the same time. The mercenary had the reaction he was hoping for. No Kender on Krynn could resist anything even remotely connected to magic.

"Did you say Magic User?" Myrra was all excited. She never saw a Magic User before. Only in stories had she ever heard about them. She would do anything to see one in action!

"Can he sprout lightning from his fingertips?"

"Can he change me into a dragon? Or a firefly? Or a squirrel?" inquired Skwejee, fascination filling his eyes. He could already see himself flying above the village.

"Can he help me get my child back?" Loyia pleaded. Hope was now plainly evident on Loyia's face.

In Krynn, Magic Users were very powerful people. The gift to weld and use the fabric of magic is a gift very few possessed. And even fewer can master it long enough and have devotion enough to put it to great use. To the common folks a Magic User or illusionist is the funny guy at local fare who can make coins disappear before an audience and perform other tricks and eye tricks. But to the weary traveler and adventurer like Loyia, a real Magic User is the person who can hurl fiery meteorites on score of enemies. She saw a mage once who was able to shoot lightning from his finger tips going thru at least eight armoured Goblins with such force that swords got welded on shields or breastplates. Powerful magic that can only be matched by dragon's magic. Some are rumoured to even be able to see in the future or communicate in great distances; teleport somebody from across the continent in a matter of seconds. Many great battle fates have been decided by Magic Users even against overwhelming odds. To have a Magic User of great skills by your side is an invaluable asset.

A Magic User could help her fill the four days separating her from Gab. It was an unexpected opportunity she had to catch for the sake of her son. Even if it meant that she would need to stand that dubious human for some time.

Khad was taken aback. Kneeling next to Loyia, he gently asked: "What is that about a lost child?"

Loyia hesitated a couple of heartbeats before replying: "Eight days ago, a group of Ogres and Goblins from the Black Dragon army came to our village and put all the kids they could into a huge wheeled cage. My six year old son was taken. For two days now we have been following them to free all the children," Loyia was almost on the brisk of tears.

Before Khad could reply, Loyia concluded: "Maybe your Magic User friend could magic us closer to them so we could save them before something terrible happens. Could you help us Sir Knight?"

Khad was deeply shaken by the story: "My friend is strong enough to defeat those evil creatures. I cannot let that kidnapping go unpunished. No evil creature should separate a kid from his mother. Help me find my friend and we will help you."

"Let's see that map and make a plan," added Khad.

Myrra was so happy. She jumped on Khad, giving him a huge hug. Skwejee quickly intervened to separate Myrra from the human; for her own protection, of course. That armour could hurt her, you know…

Khad gave an embarrassing pat on Myrra's shoulder, while retrieving his flint stone from her hand.

Loyia put her backpack on the floor and retrieved an old map from a scroll case. Carefully unrolling it, she showed the group's newest member where they were on it.

"This is Twin Oaks. And here is Hidden Pond, our village," indicated Loyia.

"Wow! That's a nice map! I come from here," said Skwejee, pointing at another small village on the map.

"I'm pretty sure the group is going to Flotsam, which is here," continued Loyia.

Khad was thoughtful.

"We were going to Flotsam when our ships were caught by the storm. Maybe my friend decided to head there also so we can regroup…" said Khad.

"If anything happens around here, it is bound to finish at Flotsam; either on the slave market or in jail. So it is a good point to look. And it is only two days away. We should pass the night here and leave in the morning," suggested Loyia.

The group was interrupted by the town mayor who invited them for the night meal: "Come, we are having our meal soon. Would you like to join us?"

Without waiting for a reply, the mayor herded them all to a big fire in the new town square.

The meal was uneventful and even joyful. With the town elder telling stories of his great adventures to anybody who would listen. The group learned more about the attack on the village but nobody knew the reason why they were taking kids captive and carrying them around in that giant cage.

During the meal, Loyia looked at Khad often to try to understand the man. She had a hard time to understand him. Why was he helping them? What was he doing with the Kender community? There was something strange about him that she could not understand. She did not trust him, but she needed the help of his friend. She accepted him into the group but she would have an eye on him.

The human went along with the small group very well. After the meal, he and Skwejee did some sword and shield playing, or training as they would say. Khad felt very natural as a teacher and Skwejee was all too happy to show Myrra what he could do; always over-acting all his moves and adding winks and smiles to her. Khad was quick to understand what was going on and took advantage of the distraction to hit the Kender on the knuckle with the flat side of his blade every time the Kender was distracted, to Myrra's delight.

Myrra was enjoying looking at them exercising. It was part of the adventure, as she would say.

After the training, Myrra waited to be alone with Khad and asked the mercenary: "Why do you help us, Khad?"

Hesitantly, the man smiled at Myrra and bent down to whisper in her ears: "Because that's what Knights do," after that, he winked at her.

Myrra smiled back and placed a finger on her lips to show she would keep the secret.

The villagers went to bed and the group decided to put their blankets near the heat of the now red timbers for the night.

Loyia was always keeping an eye on Khad and Skwejee. She voluntarily put her bedroll between Skwejee's and Myrra's one which brought a smile on Khad's face and a sigh from Myrra. Skwejee was about to protest, to explain that it would be best if he cut the sea breeze for Myrra but before he could say a word, Loyia cut him out with a fierce look. The young warrior recognised a lost battle when he saw one and decided to keep his arguments for himself.

Taking a few paces away from the group, Loyia turned toward the sea. With her hand in her pouch, the one that contained the broken toy dragon, she silently wished her son a good night, wherever he was…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"We leave town now," declared Groshlak while he and Niclash walked in Flotsam's streets toward the city gate.

The priest silently acknowledged his partner, lost in his private thoughts.

When they got to the gate, a guard hailed them: "Dark Priest, I have an important message for you."

Niclash nodded to the guard, encouraging him to continue.

"The city's guard captain would like you to go and see a prisoner he just transferred at the jail," continued the guard.

"Why?" asked the priest.

"The prisoner is an Elf. He thinks he is a Magic User or a cleric," informed the guard.

Niclash looked at the guard with renewed interest but before he could reply, the guard finished his message: "the captive is unconscious but alive. He doesn't know what to do with him."

"Hang him and leave us alone!" Groshlak didn't want to stay any longer in the city; that delay was removing whatever patience left he had.

But the priest was visibly intrigued by that discovery. Ignoring the guard, he talked with the Ogre leader: "I will go take a look at this prisoner."

With a loud grunt, Groshlak said: "hang him like the others and be done!"

"Calm down, I know you want to get out of here. Take your troops and leave the town. Wait for me outside the camps, on the road, west; I'll catch up with you." Without waiting for a reply, the priest turned around and dove back into the buzzing city and its jail.

There was a lot of activity in the city. Many troops coming to reinforce the invasion forces were freshly disembarking from huge roaring galleys. Sea fearing minotaur, taking a day or two to replenish their supply before going back to sea for another assignment, were adding to the already overfilled inns and bars of the town.

Evading the main streets and using mainly the back alleys and small streets, the priest made a fast trip to the town jail. He had nothing to risk in this city. Nobody, be it a cut-purse or a cut-throat, would be foolish enough to attack a representative of the Black Queen. It was easy to evade the justice of the mortals but impossible to evade a goddess' wrath.

Niclash knew that all too well and used his privileges on a daily basis. But the Dark Priest was no fool. He knew that such privileges came with a high price. He had to do as he was commended. He also knew that his Queen would take his life if needed to achieve her goals. He was just fortunate enough that Takhisis found him more useful alive then dead, for now, so better take the opportunities while they last.

The priest knew he was getting close to the detention area even before he could see the decrepitated building just from the cries, the mooning and pleading coming from the torture chambers.

One of the city's oldest buildings, the jail was basically a large square with only one story high. All the administrative tasks were conducted on the main level. Most of the prisoners were located in its three basement levels. The building was surrounded by a high wall forming a courtyard around the building. An empty stable was located right next to the main entrance to the courtyard. A guard was positioned at the courtyard entrance and two others at the entrance of the building. All of them looked very bored and were probably looking forward to the end of their watch for various personal reasons.

Arriving at the front door of the courtyard, the guard hastily opened the gate for the Dark Priest with a small bow.

"Master, what can I do for you?" asked the nervous guard.

"Take me to the new prisoner," replied the priest.

"Yes, of course Master." The guard motioned to one of the guards at the building to come over. The newcomer took the lead and brought Niclash into the building and down to the last level of the detention cells.

The place was overcrowded with all sorts of prisoners. There were almost as many enemies as allies right now in the cells. Most of the later still drunk from whatever drink hole they have been arrested for causing trouble. The prisoners of war waited their interrogation and execution. Normally the second wasn't far behind the first, if not at the same time.

The smell inside the detention levels was almost unbearable. Even for the priest who was used to interrogation chambers.

Arriving in front of the last cell, the priest had a look inside. There was only one occupant inside it. An adult Elf was laying on the floor, immobile. He looked like an ordinary folk being dressed as the average mercenary. But on close inspection, Niclash noticed that he was wearing a scroll case and several spell components were attached to his belt. Components like feathers of different sorts, small bag containing unidentifiable powders, a strip of fur, etc…

"Where did you find him?" asked the Dark Priest.

"A patrol found him on the shore, east of the town, with some wood debris and other corps. They searched the bodies for any information and discovered he was still alive. Being a Magic User, they handled him with great care," informed the guard.

The priest looked at the jail keeper intently, knowing very well what kind of "information" the patrol was looking for on the dead bodies. The kind that shines in the sun and could be traded for services found inside an inn.

"Good. I see you have used the magical collar I gave you the last time I was here." Looking at the guard directly in the eyes, the priest added: "I will include you in my prayers to the Dark Lady tonight for your good work."

"Thank you, Master." The guard was not entirely sure if it was a favour or a menace.

"I must leave for a couple of days. I ask of you to remove his spell components and make sure the restraining necklace stays on him. This is a very dangerous prisoner. I will take a look at him when I'm back."

Niclash was very happy about that prisoner. Maybe he could extract important information from him. Magic Users were also well informed and so, very valuable. But the meeting with the Dark Lady was more urgent. The magic necklace would keep him in a sleeping-like state for as long as it would remain on him. A black mage had made the collar and Niclash had traded it for a very high price, knowing it would be very useful. The necklace was black and an inscription ran along its length in silver.

"Use this lock on the necklace to make sure nobody removes it." Niclash produced a small lock from a hidden pocket inside his robe and gave it to the guard. Though very small, the lock was of very good quality and looked to be very strong. Probably Elven made, thought the jail keeper. The lock alone was probably worth more than a year's pay for the guard. But it never, even remotely, occurred to him to steal it.

"Yes master."

"I'll see you in a couple of days than." The priest turned around and was soon lost in the shadow.

Opening the cell door, the guard moved carefully toward the Magic User. Even if he trusted the priest's necklace, one was never too cautious when the time came to deal with arcane users. Very slowly, as not to awake the Elf, the guardian put the lock on the small necklace. As soon as he heard the click from the lock, the guardian darted out of the cell and locked the door behind him. Once that was done, and behind the safety of the door, he felt silly for being afraid of the Elf.

Nevertheless, he safely put the necklace key inside his pocket and went back to his post, near the entrance.

Back in the Black Army's camp, Groshlak didn't waste a second. As soon as he was with his group, he kicked awake the other Ogres and Goblins and after some yelling, the raiding party was moving again.

With replenished water and food reserves, they would be good to cross the desert. The beasts of burden had been fed and watered also.

After some more shoving, grunting and yelling, the group was finally out of the town of Flotsam. By the time they reached the exit of the encampments, it was the priest who waited for them there.

Climbing in front of the cage, on a small bench, the priest said to his companion who was walking beside: "We have luck my friend. After we are done with the Kenders, we will come back to question that prisoner. The future holds many possibilities!"

And with a smile, Niclash felt into a dreaming state seeing himself as the head of the Dark Priesthood; his Ogre bodyguard beside him…


End file.
